Belgrade, 12 June 2002 (RFE/RL) -- The party of Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica withdrew from the Serb parliament today, declaring the legislature invalid. The move came after all 45 deputies of the Democratic Party of Serbia, the DSS, walked out following the assembly's approval of an administrative committee's decision to dismiss 21 of them for poor attendance.
The committee is to meet again later today to appoint new deputies in place of the dismissed ones, but those are expected to be from parties other than the DSS.
Many of those voted to be ousted had boycotted parliament sessions in protest of government policies, including legal and economic reforms and cooperation with the United Nations war crimes tribunal at The Hague.
Dragan Marsicanin, a top DSS official, said the party plans to appeal to the courts to reverse the parliamentary ouster.
The committee is to meet again later today to appoint new deputies in place of the dismissed ones, but those are expected to be from parties other than the DSS.
Many of those voted to be ousted had boycotted parliament sessions in protest of government policies, including legal and economic reforms and cooperation with the United Nations war crimes tribunal at The Hague.
Dragan Marsicanin, a top DSS official, said the party plans to appeal to the courts to reverse the parliamentary ouster.